Feeling

I recently found myself reflecting on my job search journey after being laid off. I was laid off from my role in a Biotech company and it’s been a tough ride. It’s been 11 months since I lost my job, and I’m seriously considering going back to school to pivot into a different field. The job market is incredibly competitive right now, and it feels like every application I submit gets lost in the shuffle. I’ve seen others share their experiences, with some taking up to 10 months to find something new, while others managed to land roles in just a couple of months but often had to make significant compromises. It’s disheartening to see that even when you do everything right, the reality is that many job postings might not even be real, and the competition is fierce. I’m trying to stay hopeful, but I can’t help but feel the pressure of the situation.

I recently received an offer for a tech supporter role at a school, and I'm feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness about it. I have 8 years of experience as a full stack engineer, primarily working with SaaS technologies like Java, Python, React, Vue, SQL, and Node. Over the past couple of years, I've also started exploring AI engineering. Unfortunately, I faced a tough time when my previous company went bankrupt, leaving me unemployed for 7 months. During my job search, I sent out 436 applications, which only led to three interviews. I worked with 27 recruiters, but most of them ended up ghosting me. Finally, I was contacted by this school that needs someone to help set up hardware, troubleshoot bugs in their internal systems, and handle various tech-related tasks. However, it's been challenging to get a clear understanding of what my actual responsibilities will be since no one else at the school has tech experience. I'm quite anxious about stepping into this role because I have no idea what programs I should familiarize myself with or what to expect day-to-day. Additionally, I’m concerned about how this role might affect my long-term career goals. I still aspire to secure a full stack engineer position, and I worry that this tech support role, which is not coding-focused, might hinder my chances of landing a programming job in the future. If anyone has experience in a similar role, I would greatly appreciate any insights or advice!

I recently joined the "laid off club" after 25 years in my role. I had been mentally preparing for this moment for about three years, ever since the original owners exited and their sons took over without the necessary leadership skills to run the business effectively. During this time, I started doing some side work to keep myself engaged, as my main job often left me with nothing to do over 50% of the time. While I have some sporadic work to keep me entertained, it's not enough to support myself. The company mentioned that if work comes in, I might get a call back, but honestly, I doubt that will happen given how slow things have been for so long. The future looks pretty dim at this point. Now that I have some time on my hands, I plan to tackle various projects around the house. After a few weeks of relaxing, I’ll start sending out résumés. At nearly 50 years old, I’m curious about re-entering the workforce as if I’m a newbie. I’m also hoping to shift my career direction and maybe even secure a raise, especially since I haven’t seen one in about four years, and the raises I did receive were always below the inflation rate. If anyone is on the lookout for that elusive employee who is hard to find because they’re already employed, feel free to reach out!

I am a software engineer with 3 years of experience, and I've been on the job hunt for the past 2 years. Unfortunately, I've only received 6 calls for interviews and have not landed any offer letters. I'm starting to feel discouraged and wonder if it's really over for me in terms of finding a proper job in the market. Do I still have a chance to get back on track with my career?

I've been working as a creative project manager at my company for 10 years now, and I've consistently met or exceeded expectations in my annual reviews. However, I've recently been facing some frustrating situations regarding my position and pay. Since 2020, my team has shrunk from five people to just two of us, and we've absorbed the workload of the others, effectively doubling our responsibilities. Despite this, I've only received regular raises and two promotions that didn't really change my workload, just the title and pay grade. Recently, a job was posted for our team at a higher pay grade than mine, but when I asked my manager why, she couldn't provide a clear explanation. This left me feeling undervalued and hesitant to apply. Now, my manager has posted another position that has a similar job description to mine but offers a minimum of $13,000 more in base pay and a higher title. She encouraged me to apply, but I can't shake the feeling that there's something off about this whole situation. I've been looking for new jobs on and off, but the market is tough, and I'm feeling burnt out. I can't help but wonder why they wouldn't just promote me if they recognize my experience and capabilities. If I decide to apply, I want to present my experience and goals effectively without sounding like I'm just saying, 'I already do all of this.' It's a big company, and while not every area is problematic, mine definitely feels like it's stuck in a loop of questionable hiring practices.

I work at a car dealership in the Midwest, and I might be facing a layoff due to the recent implementation of an AI receptionist. I returned from a trip to find my desk eerily quiet; I usually handle around 30 calls a day, but now I'm barely getting any. Management hasn't communicated anything about my role, but it's clear that my primary responsibilities have vanished almost overnight. I'm really anxious about the possibility of being let go in the coming weeks, especially since job opportunities in my area are already scarce. I need to secure my position to move out soon, but I'm torn between waiting to see what happens and starting to look for a new job. Any advice would be appreciated.

I’ve been working at a small startup for the past 9 months, and I’m starting to feel really uneasy about some unethical practices I’ve discovered. We’re a team of about 25, and I was one of the first hires in my role. Recently, I learned some alarming things that are making me consider whether I should leave the company. 1. It turns out that several of my coworkers don’t have valid work authorizations. The founders are from India, and it seems a couple of our engineers are on student or guest visas. I found out about this after one of them got caught, which raised a huge red flag for me. 2. The founder is diverting funds from our main product to develop a second product, which is only marginally related to our original offering. He’s even using our main product’s social media to promote this new venture. I’m worried that this could jeopardize the cash flow from the product I’m responsible for. 3. There are also issues with contracts being manipulated to lower the pay for myself and the go-to-market team. I was promised bonuses for achieving specific goals, but the new contract terms have delayed those payments and made it harder to reach my targets. 4. On a personal note, I just found out that my equity vesting schedule was altered without my knowledge. The founder added an additional year to my vesting period, which is really frustrating. Given all of this, I’m wondering how bad it would look if I decided to switch jobs now. I’m particularly concerned about the legal implications if any of these issues come to light. A friend from my previous job offered me a referral, but I’ve applied there a couple of times since my layoff and never heard back. Plus, since I’m the public face of our training and promotional videos, it would feel awkward to transition to a new role. I’m really torn about whether I should stay and wait it out or bail before things potentially get worse.

I’ve been struggling with my job search lately, especially with Indeed's 'experience level' filter. It feels completely useless. I just spent half an hour rejecting job listings for positions like registered nurse, cath lab tech, and on-call OR surgeon—none of which I qualify for. I don't understand why I'm being shown jobs that require master's degrees or years of experience in fields like civil engineering when I'm just looking for something entry-level. I'm really trying to find any job at this point. I did get hired by McDonald's, and they sent me my I-9 and onboarding paperwork, which I filled out right away. But now, I've been waiting for a month for them to process it, and to make matters worse, they recently removed the job listing. It’s incredibly frustrating.

I recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology and I'm currently living with my parents while searching for a decent job. I just started working as a patient transporter two weeks ago, but I also had a promising job interview today for a position that pays the same. I'm excited because my current job will help me get a CPR certification next week, and the interview I had mentioned they offer free phlebotomy classes and certification. I'm considering getting both certifications and then applying for better jobs in my desired career field after about 6-8 months. I'm a bit worried, though, about how potential employers will view my short tenure at these jobs. Will they look down on my applications if I leave after such a brief period, even though the roles are relevant to my career goals?

I recently experienced a layoff from my role at a tech company where I was seen as a jack-of-all-trades. Before I was hired, I had to fill out a document that showcased my broad skill set, which ultimately led to me being viewed as the go-to person for various projects. I constantly upskilled and took on more complex tasks, while my coworker focused on a narrower scope. This dynamic shifted over time, and I felt my coworker and manager began to view my contributions as a threat. My coworker would often silo information and misinterpret my input in meetings, while my manager, who lacked expertise in my field, seemed oblivious to the tension. Despite my efforts to maintain professionalism, I was let go during layoffs, even after my manager praised my work just a week prior. It was disheartening to learn that a senior leader would have considered me for a role in their department if they had known I was available, but my manager never advocated for me. This experience has taught me that being the most skilled person on a team doesn’t guarantee job security, especially if your manager is inexperienced and insecure. I now realize the importance of finding a team that values competence and collaboration.

I’m excited to share that I finally got a job at a hospital in the Midwest! I had applied there last year but faced constant rejections, even receiving an initial offer for just $16 an hour, which felt too low given my 14 years of medical experience. I decided to apply again and took the initiative to email one of the talent managers directly. This time, I not only got in but also received an offer that reflects my worth, and I won’t have to work in the ER. It took a lot of perseverance—about 20 applications in total, with three responses, but the fourth was the one that worked out. Don’t give up on your job search!

I recently got hired at a small coffee chain and had my orientation on Tuesday at a different location due to scheduling conflicts. Unfortunately, I didn't get the information about when I would start because of this. They mentioned they were waiting for approval from HQ to fund my training, which I thought was reasonable. However, it’s now been several days since orientation, and I haven't received any communication from them. I'm starting to wonder if this is a red flag or if it's too early to ask about my start date. I'm considering reaching out on Monday for an update.

I recently had a final round interview with the CEO of a company after being laid off in May. The interview went really well, and towards the end, I mentioned that my references were eager to be contacted. The CEO seemed surprised that they hadn't reached out yet, indicating that they were a bit behind in the process. Shortly after, I received an invitation to complete a background check verification, which I did promptly. This has left me wondering if this is a strong indicator that they intend to make me an offer, or if there are still other candidates in the running. It's a bit nerve-wracking, especially since I have no confirmation from the company yet. I just hope this means good news is on the way!

I've been at my current job for about 9 years, and I've always had a great track record with stellar reviews, mostly 4s and 5s out of 5. Recently, however, we experienced a significant change in leadership that has completely altered the dynamics of my team. My previous manager was stripped of her reports, and the new boss has taken over. From the start, I've had a bad feeling about her, and it turns out my instincts were right. She's an extreme micromanager who treats us more like children than the professionals we are. While she seems to support underperforming staff, she has it out for high performers like me. Recently, a staff member made a mistake, and instead of addressing it constructively, my new boss has been blaming me, claiming I'm not doing my job. She even wants to dig through my emails to find reasons to lower my performance review. I feel completely lost and disheartened. The workplace I once loved has turned into a hostile environment, and I can't even approach HR about the situation due to the source of this information. I'm reaching out for support and guidance because I'm truly a mess right now. It might be time for me to start looking for a new job, but I don't even know where to begin.

I recently received two emails to my company email that I suspect are part of a job offer scam. They don't even mention a company name, which makes me think they're not putting much effort into this. I’m about 99% certain it’s a scam, but I wanted to get some reassurance from others. It’s not surprising that my work email was targeted since it’s not hard to guess, but I’m just trying to confirm my suspicions. I’m also considering the possibility that it could be a phishing test from my own company. I’m really hoping to squash any lingering doubts about this being legitimate.

I recently found out that my company is going through a significant round of layoffs, affecting employees at all levels regardless of their performance. We're being given four months to transition out, followed by two months of severance. I’ve been thinking about whether it would be realistic to ask for a pay cut instead of facing a layoff. I would prefer to stay with the company, even if it means accepting a lower salary. I'm curious if anyone has successfully negotiated a similar situation and what the chances are of turning this layoff into a pay cut. I’m considering how to approach the conversation and what factors I should keep in mind.

I just got fired from my job as a custodian, and honestly, it’s a bit of a joke. I have a master’s degree, but I ended up in this position because I needed work. The supervisor was cool at first; he would buy me lunch and cigarettes, but today everything changed. I got fired because I jokingly told a co-worker he was acting like a little girl. Apparently, that didn’t sit well with the supervisor, who I suspect was involved in some shady activities. I had been going to the office an hour early just to clock in extra time, and I think my co-worker ratted me out. The supervisor claimed he was affiliated with gangs, and I started to notice that some of the transients around the plaza would ask for him. I called him out on what I thought was his drug dealing while on the job, especially since I’m on probation for a DUI and fighting for custody of my kids. I don’t want to get involved in any illegal activities. When I confronted him, he started acting crazy, and I let him know that age doesn’t matter to me; I’d stand up for myself. It’s just wild how supervisors can be. I’m not too bothered about losing the job, but it’s definitely a funny story to tell. Just a reminder that some people can be really out there.

I just read the latest jobs report which indicated that the US lost 23,000 jobs last week. My last day at work was July 10, and I'm feeling a bit anxious about the situation. Half of my team is receiving severance packages of six months or more, and I'm left wondering if we are included in that statistic or if we will be counted among the job losses next year. It's a strange time, and while many around me seem to understand the severity of the job market, I still encounter some older colleagues in IT who insist that everything is fine. It's hard to reconcile these differing perspectives.

I’ve been working in publishing for a little over a year and a half, and honestly, it’s been a nightmare. The pay is terrible, my boss refuses to give us raises or healthcare, and he often yells at me for things I’ve done. My job title is a joke; I’m not doing what it suggests, and my boss moves me around without changing my title. I thought this was my dream job, but it’s been detrimental to my mental health, and I can’t even afford therapy because of the low pay. Recently, I faced an uncomfortable situation during a company conference where a coworker invited me to his hotel room late at night. Thankfully, I was at a different hotel, but without an HR department, I felt trapped and unable to report it. On top of that, my boss is pushing for AI-generated books, which I strongly oppose. The quality is terrible, and readers dislike it. I’ve reached a breaking point and am considering leaving the company to pursue a career change. However, I’m torn about whether to give two weeks' notice or quit immediately. The thought of spending another hour there makes me anxious. I’ve seen mixed opinions on the two weeks notice; some say it’s a courtesy, while others suggest just leaving if I can afford it. I know I won’t be able to use my boss as a reference anyway, so I’m leaning towards quitting right away.

I recently found myself in a tough situation at my healthcare call center job. In a moment of desperation, I lied on my resume to secure the position, thinking it was my only option. Now, my employer is asking for employment verification, and I'm feeling the weight of my decision. I know I messed up, and I'm unsure of how to navigate this. I’ve read that honesty might be the best policy, but I’m terrified of the consequences. I never thought I’d be in this position, and it’s really stressing me out.